Firearm sight



G. F. PRlDEAUX FIREARM SIGHT Sept. 25, 1945.

Filed Dec. 3, 1942 lhven'tor:

JV His AHomeg.

Patented Sept. 25, 1945 r a Y- E-.5" PATENT OFFICE Gwilym Prideaux,Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to General Electric Company, acorporation of New York Application December 3, 1942, Serial No. 467,749

, Claims My invention relates to sights of the silhouette type forfirearms, such as rifles, carbines, shotguns, revolvers and the like.

In aiming firearms equipped with sights of the silhouette type, theobject aimed at must be visible and the sights must be silhouetted onthe object. Under certain conditions of illumination, such as understarlight or moonlight, the object may be visiblebut it is impossible tosee the conventional sight silhouetted against the object. Accurateaiming of the firearm equipped with conventional silhouette sights isthus impossible under such conditions. 7

They principal object of my invention is to providea sight of thesilhouette type which makes possible the accurate aiming of firearmsunder conditions of illumination such that conventional sights of thistype are useless. Another object of my invention is to provide asilhouette type sight which is of simple structure and readilyadjustable to suit the various conditionsof illumination under which itmay be used. Other objects is a sight having a luminous part which isvisible,

when viewed from the breech end of a firearm and invisible when viewedthereof.

In the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification aspecies of my invention is shown in which Fig. 1 is a perspective viewof my,

luminous sight mounted on the muzzle end of a rifie provided with aconventional silhouette V sight; Fig. 2 i a side elevational view of theluminous sight and the muzzle end of a rifle with part of the sightbroken away to show the light source; and Fig. 3 is an exploded view ofthe luminous sight illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawing, the luminous sight comprises a spring clip IIIwhich engages with the rifle barrel I I to support a casing I2 for theflashlight I3. One end of the casing I2 opens into an opaque housing I4which encloses light-transmitting material I5. The casing I2 and thehousing I 4 constitutes an enclosure for the other part of the luminoussight. The material I5 is of the kind through which light passes as doeswater through a'p-ipe. Quartz and Lucitej are ma from the muzzle end,

terials of this kind, the latter being an organic plastic material and,since its cost is less than that of quartz, the preferred'material forthe purposes of my invention. The housing I4 and theenclosed material I5are perforated to accommodate the barrel I I and are in two parts whichfit together about said barrel II, as best shown in Fig. 3. The part ofthe opaque housing I4 on top of thebarrel I I is perforated as shown atIE to form an aperture on the side thereof facing the breech end of therifle barrel II so that part of the upper portion of the material I5 isvisible through the aperture I6 from that direction. The'material I5 isalso juxtaposed to the end of the cas ing I2 opening into the housingI4. The flashlight I3 has an incandescent lamp I'I disposedat one endthereof and is inserted lamp end foremost into the casing I2. The casingI2 fitstightly about said flashlight to hold the latter firmly enough toresist the force of gravity when the rifle barrel is tilted from thehorizontal and to; resist the physical shock incident to the dischargeof the rifle. The flashlight is movable longitudinally of the casing I2,however, so that the distance between the lamp I! and the material I5may be selected to attain the desired brilliancy of the portion of thepiece l5 vis'ible through the aperture I6 of the housin I4.

The casing I2 and the housing I4 are separably joined to each other inthe following manner.

As shown in Fig. '3, the housing I4 comprises two parts I8 and I9 whichare secured to each other by the hinge 20 and which thus act as a pairof jaws. In the closed position of the jaws the opening 2| extendsthrough the housing I4 and an opening 22 is provided for accommodatingone end of the casing I2. The end of easing I2 to be held in the housingI4 has secured to the interior thereof, a by soldering, an annularsleeve 23 which'extends beyond said casing I2. The width of the sleeve23 increases abruptly, the portion of greater width extending through acircular arc of more than A member 24 is secured, as by soldering, tothe outer surface of the wider portion of sleeve 23 and is spaced fromthe end of easing I2 to form a groove or slot 25. The diameter of theopening 22 is less than the outer diameter of the casing I2 and isapproximately the same as the inner diameter of said casing I2.

In connecting the casing I2 and the housing I4 the parts I8 and I9 areseparated and the casing I2is disposed with the member 24 in thehousing.

I4 and the groove 25 aligned with the parts of the housing I4 definingthe opening 22. Theparts,

I8 and I9 are then moved together to join the casing I2 and the housingI4.

While the parts I8 and I9 of the housing I4 are separated, the parts 26and 21 of the material I5 are also separated and are disposed in saidparts I8 and I9, respectively. For clearness of illustration, parts 26and 21 are shown in contact in Fig. 3. Thesightmay be mounted on thebarrel I I by first moving the spring clip I 0 into engagement with saidbarrel II with the member 24 of the casing I2 in the direction of themuzzle end of the barrel II. The housing I4 with the parts 26 and 21 ofthe material I5 disposed therein is then clamped about the casing I 2and the barrel II. The parts I8 and I9 overlap and releasably locktogether as shown at 28 (Figs. 1' and 3) to hold the housing I4 and thematerial I5 on the barrel II and to engage the casing I2 with saidhousing I4. 7

- In order to align the aperture I6 with the conventional sight 29 ontherifle barrel II the material I5 and'the housing I4 are so shaped asto form a wedge-shaped opening '34 to accommodate the sloping portion 30of the conventional sight shown in U. S. Patent 1,983,362, issuedDecember 4, 1934, having a lens to direct the light from theincandescent filament of the lamp I! in a, beam of parallel rays havinga longitudinal axis coincident \mth that of the flashlight I3, and thelens end of the lamp I! may be inserted in the recess 32 to obtainmaximum brightness of the material I5. Preferably the apex and the axisof the conical recess32' lie in the longitudinalaxis of the flashlightI3 when the latter is in the casing I2. The light emitted, by the lampII impinging upon the surface of the material I5 defining the recess 32enters said material I5 which then appears as a luminous body, aportion. of which is visible through aperture I6 in the housing I4. Thebrightness of the material I5 may be selected to meet the conditions ofsurrounding illumination for effectively aiming the rifle withoutdazzling the eye of the operator by moving the flashlight I3longitudinally of the casing I2 to vary the distance between the lamp l!with respect to the recess 32 as pointed out above.

When desired, the apparent brightness of the material I5 may be reducedby interposing a light screen or filter between the eyeof the operatorand the portion of the material I5 visible through the aperture I6. Thescreen or filter is conveniently disposed over the aperturelfijforexample it may be secured to the inner surface of I8 so as.

to extend over the aperture It When the parts I8 and'l9 are in theclosed position shown in Figs. land 2. The light screen or filter may bedisposed between'the lamp I1 and the material I5; for example, it may bein the form of a disc mounted in the casing I2 between the lamp I1 andthe recess 32 for the purpose of reducing the brightness of the materialI5.. Screens or filters which transmit red light are satisfactory. The

light tight so that the only light visible is that which may be seenthrough the aperture I6.

The flashlight I3 may be used as a general utilit flashlight whenremoved from the casing I2. The handle 33 of the flashlight I3 is usedto move the flashlight I3 longitudinally of the casing I2 and to imparta rotary motion to the flashlight when the latter is inside or outsidethe casing I2 to switch the lamp I1 on and off. The frictional fitbetween the flashlight I3 and the casing I2 makes it possible to turnthe battery enclosing portion of the flashlight I3 while the lampholding-part 34 thereof remains stationary to engage and disengage theelectrical contacts of the flashlight I3 to switch the lamp IT on andoff.

-What I' claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is 1. An illuminated sight for a firearm, said lightcomprising in combination, a light source, a body of'light perviousmaterial which appears luminous when. irradiated by said. source and anopaque enclosure for said source and said material, said enclosurecomprisinga housing for said material and a casingfor saidlight source,said housing comprising a pair ofseparable jaws for clamping about thebarrel of said firearm and a'portion of said casing, said material beingseparable into parts conforming approximately to the shape of said jaws,said housing having an aperture which, when the sight is in position, isin alignment with the normal sight line of the firearm.

2. An illuminated sightfor a firearm, said sight comprisin incombination, a light source, a body of light pervious material whichappears luminous when irradiated by said source and an opaque enclosurefor said source and said material, said enclosure comprising a housingfor said material and a casing for said light source, said light sourcebeing in frictional engagement with said casing and movablelongitudinally thereof, said housing comprising a pair of separable jawsfor clamping about the barrel of said firearm and a portion of saidcasing, said material bein separable into parts conforming approximatelyto the shape of said jaws, said housing having an aperture which, whenthe sight is in position, is in alignment with the normal sight line ofthe firearm.

3. An illuminated sight for a firearm, said sight comprising incombinatioma light source, a body of light pervious material whichappears luminous when irradiated by said source and an opaque enclosurefor said'source and said material, said enclosure comprising a housingfor said material and a casing for said light source, said housing beingarranged 'as a pair of separable jaws for clamping aboutthe'barrel ofsaid firearm and a portion of said casing, said material being separableinto parts conforming approximately to the shape of said jaws, saidhousin having an aperture spaced from the part thereof clamping aboutsaid casing and through which a portion of'said material is visible,said housing and said material providing an opening for the reception ofa portion of the conventional sight of said firearm, said opening beingso disposed with respect to said aperture that thelatter is aligned withthe bead of said conventional sight.

4. An illuminated'sight for a firearm, said sight comprising incombination, a light source; a body of light pervious material whichappears luminous when irradiated by light from said source and an opaqueenclosure for said source and said mae I terial, said enclosure havingan aperture through jointsbetween the variou parts of the luminous V e I-which a portioncffisaid material may be seen, sight andbetween thebarrel I I and the sightare said light source being movable in saidenclosure toward and away from said material for effecting changes inthe brightness of said material visible 7 through said aperture, saidaperture, when the sight is in position, being in alignment with thenormal sight line of the firearm.

5. An illuminated sight for a firearm, said sight comprising incombination, a light source, a body of light pervious material whichappears luminous when irradiated by light from said source and an opaqueenclosure for said source and said material, said enclosure having anaperture through which a portion of said material may be seen, saidmaterial having a conical recess spaced from the portion thereof visiblethrough said aperture, said light source being movable in said enclosuretoward and away from said recess for effecting changes in the brightnessof said material visible through said aperture, said aperture, when thesight is in position, bein in alignment with the normal sight line ofthe firearm.

GWILYM F. PRIDEAUX.

